Power actuated clamp apparatus for clampingly holding a drill rod or the like.
In the prior art it is known to provide power actuated clamp apparatus. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 2,623,257 which discloses a pair of inclined cylinders for moving piston rods that through arms and shackels move a pair of jaws to a rod release position; U.S. Pat. No. 1,860,062 which discloses interlocked jaws; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,545,627. U.S. Pat. No. 1,883,073 discloses drill rod clamp apparatus that includes a bushing having opposite upwardly diverging walls that in part bound a space into which a pair of jaws extend, and generally truncated wedge shaped jaws having generally semi-cylindrical recesses opening toward the other.
Also existing clamping devices currently being used in the core drilling industry do not pivot about a horizontally mounted base, but rather require a tilted base platform when drilling angle holes.
In order to provide a clamping device that will withstand vertical, as well as torsional load for purpose of making and breaking threaded rod joints, and that is capable of being mounted on a horizontal or inclined surface and tilted to be aligned with the direction of the hole being drilled, this invention has been made.